Bottle closure



April 2, 1929- A. KENNERKNECHT 1,707,524

BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed April 7, 1927 Z/Q/wm flilarney.

Patented Apr. 2, 1929. i

unirsn STATES ADALBERT xnnnnnxnnon'r, or conoenn, GERMANY.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

Application filed Apri1'7, 1927, Serial No. 181,827, and in Germany May 17, 1926.

The present invention has reference to improvements in bottle closures and'relates more particularly to a readily attachable and detachable closure of the type in which 5 the stopper member proper or plug for closing purposes is pressed onto its seat in the mouth of the bottle by a system of articulated wire lever members, and the object of the invention is to improve the construction 1 and operation of prior closures of this character by providing two wire yoke members interconnected to form a toggle lever unit, each one of which yoke members presents a part designed for coaction with a step or flange extending around the neck of the bottle, the weaker of the yokes being. intended for preliminary closure of the bottle and the stronger yoke intended for completing the stoppering operation, the prelimi- 2 nary closure serving the purpose of sterilizing the bottle contents, as the low tension exerted by this relatively weaker yoke allows of ready escape of excess pressure developing in the bottle. The device in the final closing position of its stronger yoke ti htly stoppers the bottle by its compound lever action, and it can readily be attachedto the bottle or detached therefrom without the use of tools. I

In order to make my invention more read ily understood I will describe it in detail in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which F 1 shows a side view of the detached closing device; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 shows the closure in position on the bottle in the first tensioning stage, for sterilizing purposes; Fig. 4 shows the final closing stage, of which Fig. 5 is a front view.

The stopper plug 1, of ceramic or other suitable material, is provided above the rubber washer 2 with a transverse bore 3 through which extends the upper cross-mem ber 44 of the spring wire yoke member .4, whose free ends are interlooped as at 5 (Fig. 2). At about the middle of the two longitudinal yoke portions there are provided the relatively alined resilient loops 6, below which the yoke portions 7 are converged to be connected transversly by the bracing.

little above and in front of the annular step or flange 10 of the bottle head 11, as shown I in dotted outline in Fig. 3. l 7 Upon forcing the lower portion of the wire shoulder 8 against the bottle neck the cross-portion of the shoulder will be pressed home below the step 10, theelastic loops 6 readily yielding to this extent, and the rubber washer 2 being slightly and a little one-sidedly compressed (Fig. 3).

The looped upper shank ends 18 of the ei-shaped traction yoke 12 are hooked into the respective loops 6 of the yoke 4 and they each are provided intermediate their respective ends with a coil loop 14;. On the trans verse bottom portion 15 of the yoke 12 is hingedly mounted the tensioning lever 16, preferably of sheet metal. This lever 16 is to be placed with its free edge below the bottle neck step 10' and is then swung inwardly toward the bottle.

The described system operates in the manner of a toggle lever mechanism, and the yoke .12, in swmgmg downward into locking posi- .tlOll, additionally tightens the yoke 41:, 7, the

upper portion of the yoke a, above the loops 6, being acted upon by the component resulting from the force exerted on the one hand by the bracing shoulder 8, and on the other hand by the tensioning lever 16.

By properly dimensioning the parts it can readily be attained that the resultant closing force extends in the middle plane of the bottle neck,so that the rubber washer 2 is evenly'compressed for a tight closure. Instead of the provision of a rubber washer, the plug itself obviously, may be of yielding material.

The opening of the closure can practically be accomplised only by swinging out the cross-portion 15 of the toggle lever system, since on proper conformation of the lower portion of the yoke 4, there will hardly be afforded a point of seizure for the lateral withdrawal of the bracing shoulder 8 away from the bottle step 10, all the more where the tensional resistance of the yoke 4 is rather strong if the toggle closure is not previously broken. The tensional distortion of the yoke 4 for the removal of its shoulder portion 8 from under the step 10 is of so little moment that a permanent deformation of the yoke will not result.

The initial closing position, with the tensioning yoke 12 in inoperative position (Fig. 3) can be'used for the purposes of sterilizing all connected with said closure )lue' and its lower portion provided with an independently resilient upwardly projecting integral transverse shoulder to engage the shoulder of the bottle at one side thereof, and a second resilient yoke m mber pivotally connected with the sides ot the first-named yoke member between its upper and lower portions and having; its arns provided with spring coils, and a tensioning lever connected to the cross portion of aid second yoke member and adapted for e .gagen'ient with the bottle'shoulder at the side diametrically opposite the shoulder oi the iir named yoke member, whereby the firstnamed yoke member is adapted to be engaged with the bottle shoulder for holding the plug lightly in closed position with its integral transverse spring shoulder und r slight stress and the second yoke member is adapted in cooperation with the tensioning lever for holding the stopper tightly closed under a stronger resilient stress and in its engaging action to place the integral resilient shoulder of the first-named yoke under increased stress.

2. A bottle closure for use in conjunction with a bottle having an annular shoulder upon its neck portion, comprising a stopper member, a resilient yoke member pivotally connected at one end with the stopper member and having at its free end an integral independently resilient shoulder for yielding enga ement with the shoulder of the bottle neck to hold the stopper member under light resilient stress in closed position, and a second yoke member pivoted to the arms oi? the first-named yoke member interiediate their ends and having a resilient portion provided with a pivoted tensioning lever engageable with the shoulderof the bottle at the side opposite the point of enga ent of the shoulder of the first yoke 11 i therewith for holding the stopper m'rn'ibcr tightly closed and operating during its engagement with the bottle shoulder to place said resilient shoulder of the firstnanied yoke under greater stress.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signa ture.

ADALBERT KENNERKNEGHT. 

